Sakura: The Third Animal Path
by Kamon772
Summary: Pain and Konan are planning their final planning stages invasion of Konoha. However things change as one of the guards on duty this day happens to be Sakura Haruno. A friend having called in a favor she owed them resulted in her being there to encounter and defeat the Second Animal Path. However as a result of doing this Sakura herself is made into the Third Animal Path herself
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Decided to rewrite this story from the beginning. To expand on the story and change the direction of where its going

I would like to thank

The Keeper of Worlds,mr grimjaw, and silly60 for reviewing this story

The Keeper of Worlds,Naruto Sakura Uzumaki,silly60,Gunnousai, and Jaeiline6573 for adding this story to their Favorite Story List.

Naruto Sakura Uzumaki,vash3055, and SandInTheEye for adding this story to the Story Alert List

The Keeper of Worlds,Jaeiline6573 for adding me to their Author Alert List

Jaeiline6573 for adding me to their Favorite Author

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Sakura sighed as so such had happened recently with the news of Jiraiya's death reaching them. She understood that Naruto would be devastated by learning such a thing. To Naruto probably more then almost anyone else around. Jiraiya was more then just his master and he was more then just his disciple. However one of those people was Tsunade so while Naruto was devastated by his master's death so too was her own master. So she tried making so that Naruto did not take out his anger too much on Tsunade as she did not need that at the moment. Someone telling her things she was probably already thinking herself and would only do so even more if Naruto said them.

She did not want to seem that she was not aware of what Naruto was going through because even if she could not fully know what it was like. After all they had grown up in different ways that cause them to see things different ways but she was more aware of this now. Far more aware of it then back when they were still kids or even back when they had first formed Team Seven.

While she was doing this she heard a knock on the door to her place and went down to see that it was a friend of hers.

"Hey Sakura how is it going" her friend asked her

"Fine….well as fine as I can be consider what happened recently" she said to her

"I would guess so consider that the Frog Sanin has died and how close he was to the Hokage after all" the friend said in low voice.

Grabbing inside as her front door was not really info that had gotten around the entire village yet so it probably was not the best thing to just say at the moment. Considering that they did not know when Pain might attack them coming after Naruto. In similar manner to how his group had gone after Gaara and the others that had tailed beast sealed within them.

"That is not something that you should really be saying as I do not know how many ninjas were informed but to let civilians over hear that might not be a good idea" Sakura said.

After the last attack on the village basically three years ago now. There were still those that have not gotten over it as they managed to avoid too many injuries and damage to the village over all but they could not prevent any from happening at all. Sakura being so close to Tsunade who was the Hokage meant she was aware of various things that had to do not just with those against them from without but also those against them from within. There were those in the village that did not like her master or how she ran things thus another attack or even the possibility of one would go over that well.

Brushing Sakura's hands off of them, her friend then look at her with a serious look of their own.

"Remember that little bet we had awhile back" they said.

"What about?" Sakura inquired as she narrowed her own eyes at them.

She sadly had taken after her master when it came to gambling as well. Though not as horrible when it came to gambling as Tsunade, since Sakura could win and win very offer. Sakura's problem was she just did not know when to stop when she got on a roll. Shizune would always be sighing when something like this happened. For it seem that between the two of them Tsunade's bad habits rubbed off on Sakura more then Jiriaya's had on Naruto. At least she just gambling and not drinking Tsunade would always counter when this was brought up.

"I am calling in my favor that you owe me as I want you to cover for me in my guard duty today. You did say that I could call it in at anytime and you have nothing to do today. So I am here to tell you that you have to report for guard duty" the friend said.

Sighing as she did promise that so she would have to do this as she did not have anything to do today so this would be something to get her mind off of everything that have been going down lately. She had basically helped out as much as she could regarding the final message given by Jiriaya. Getting Shikamaru to help decipher it rather then just skip out on it was the best she was able to do at the moment. After this guard duty was over she was planning to help out with it herself. Getting this done would be helpful not only to Naruto but Tsunade as well.


	2. Chapter 2

Reporting to taken over guard duty for her friend. The head of the guard unit just sighed that Sakura was doing this. This was not really her task to carry out not that she could not do it but really this was too short of notice to complain about anything. So they just accepted this and would chew her friend later for doing something like this.

After getting a quick explanation of just how to do guard duty actually as there were many thing one would only know from actually do it themselves. The job sounds easy enough but there are things that are kept secret because why would you risk revealing them to those that did not need to know about them. Another reason the head guard accepted Sakura taking over for this particular guard duty was she was the student of the Hokage and thus while not assistant like Shizune was. Sakura still did help her master at various time on various topics. Topics that she could not talk about in the open because they were not for the public or even other ninjas to know.

Surveying the area it was all clear as jumped back up into the trees to travels to the next spot all the while keeping a look out for anything that looked out of place or a person wondering around like they were not suppose to be there.

However while most days were uneventfully as there was nothing to report when it came to things being out of order. Which was a good thing as that meant that no one was trying to do anything to the village thus they were going to have to deal with another attack on their home like they had in the past. Though it was because of this that there were some ninjas that had guard duty that would try to get out of it at time. Sakura's friend being one of them though it was today that maybe because of her training with Tsunade or just possibly because of her own talents. She noticed something began following this hutch that she got from examining the area. Though the majority of what she was learning to be from Tsunade was to be a combat medic that also meant that she was taught a bit about how the track someone or notice signs in order to follow someone else.

Going around trying to keep hidden the pink hair chunin managed to see that there was someone roaming around. The way they did so was clearly suspicious as they managed to always stay within a certain distance and moving in certain manner as well. Almost as if they were testing the edge of the detection barrier that surrounding all of Konoha from sky to below the ground itself. A reason that guard duty like this was not taken seriously because of the Barrier Team's job. While good it was not perfect thus why there was on foot guard duty like this.

Though it was protocol to just lure the suspicious person into the barrier so that team was alerted. Though they were leaving thus Sakura would break protocol as allow someone that was aware of the barrier's limits that easily was not a good idea. They were lucky that Itachi did not cause any harm when he snuck in undetected.

The Haruno girl managed to get the drop on them and quickly tried taking them out. Then get a team out here to have them taken in for questioning. As she tried to get towards them quickly yet stealthy as possible, Sakura came to stop as she drop to the ground from the trees she running through to avoid a kunai that was throw where she would have been.

Not wanting to just rush in and attack the this orange hair person now that her position had been revealed. Sakura was carefully trying to think out her next move which proved to be a good move as had she just rushed in she could be been attacked by giant centipede that was summoned. Though rather then attack as she thought it would have this creature was instead used to help her opponent flee from her.

Though this was not something that she had used that often but the idea behind was similar to something else she did as second nature now. Rather then enhancing the strength of her punches, Sakura instead focus on her legs where she was kick off the ground at speed that allow to close the gap and kill this creature with a single punch leaving the summoner tumbling to the ground now just trying to run away.

Not something Sakura was going allow them to do as engaged this summoner in battle which she won rather easily as they did alright but could not compare to combat medic like herself.

Standing over them on the ground Sakura was about to head back to Konoha with them as she must have got decent distance away from detection barrier. Thus need to get back as there was no telling if this person was alone. Quickly dodging to the side Sakura avoid what appeared to be a small spear like objects. Barely having avoided some as there were cuts in her clothing and along her body, she knew that whoever was out there was skilled and she had to look out for more. Seeing as since the first batch did not do the job there would probably be more.

While Sakura dodging another barrage of small spears. Something she did not expected happened as she was not aware of the true nature of what she was being attack with. It was a sudden attack after all so very few would have been able to react in time to avoid what happened next.

"Huh" was the only thing that came from her mouth as she notice blood spurting from her body. She was sure that she had dodge the latest barrage but looked down to see that where her heart was a large spear that was piercing through her body. Seeing that the 'spears' were actually just pieces of paper and the large one currently logged through her chest was apparently made from all the one she thought she no longer had to worry about. As there was nothing suggesting that she would have to have to at all, since they just look like the one time use weapons after all. Collapsing to the ground life draining from her eyes and body rapidly as her heart was destroyed already. Those thoughts she had just now were the last one before death claimed her.

This when blue hair woman appeared looking down at the now dead pink hair chunin and what damage they had to orange hair summoner that they had come to back up.

"Konan what going on there is there something wrong with the Animal Path" a voice over radio asked her.

"Yes it appears that they were defeated by the teammate of the Kyubi Jinchuriki's" Konan reported back.

"Bring her body back along with Animal Path as I have an idea" the voice said

"Understood" she replied back


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Decided to rewrite this story from the beginning. To expand on the story and change the direction of where its going

I would like to thank

The Keeper of Worlds and samuraipanda85 for reviewing this story

Christienkane, KellytheKid, LegendaryWriterS, MayhemBunny, Frost2130674, and Benihime86 for adding this story to their Favorite Story List.

Christienkane, KellytheKid, The Plague Doctor, and samuraipanda85 for adding this story to the Story Alert List

6ShadowWhoWalks9 for adding me to their Author Alert List

The Eternal Love & Happiness and 61394's Spectacular Naruto Library for adding my story to their Community archives

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Konan carried the two bodies as she was instructed to the outskirts of Konoha, probably a couple of miles away from the village itself and even the detection barrier. This where Konan came across a rather large tree. At least what appeared to be a one to the naked eyes at least. Though once Konan got close enough to it a doorway to the inside open up revealing that this was not was not truly a tree at all. It was merely a paper tree that had genjustu over top of it to give the look of real complete with the feel of real bark to anyone that could not see past it. Created through Konan's own unique paper justu

Within the paper tree which was rather spacey from the inside was frail looking white hair man in giant metal walker device and large rods stick out of his back. Noticing Konan had return he turned his attention towards her and where she had both the bodies of Sakura Haruno and the second Animal Path nearby her.

"Interesting so this was the only Konoha ninja that seemed to notice my paths near the detection barrier" he stated.

With his mobility limited because the situation they were in this attack would take some time as though they were control various bodies just like the one that currently lying before him along with Sakura's.

Apparently this was how a hidden village that was so large managed to remain well hidden. While other hidden village of the Great Five Nations used natural settings for cover (Suna being the middle of desert for example). The forest surrounding Konoha was big help but it detection barrier was the major thing. Everyone that has ever really broken into the village before has had the help of someone that either from Konoha or lived here for period of time. This was how Sound/Sand invasion was possible and how Kisame managed get in unnoticed. Orochimaru helped the Sand ninjas get around the barrier and also avoid the scouts. While Itachi was with Kisame they were probably noticed because he wanted that to happen in the first place. It was him sending a message to someone that he was still alive and if he breaks their agreement then he expose them for who he really are.

"Nagato, What did you want with this girl here for?" Konan asked

The damage done to his Second Animal Path was greater then one would have imagined. The damage did not look that bad from the outside however there was considerable internal damage that would prove a hindrance moving forward. Of course the body of the orange hair woman was no more alive then Sakura was at the moment. Both of them were just dead bodies however the difference was that he was control one through rods place all over their bodies.

Looking down at Sakura's corpse, he knew who this girl was as there very few that follow the even the basic of the what was going in Five Great Hidden Villages that did not. She was the student of the Tsunade who was the teammate of Jiraiya. Also there was another interesting fact that this girl was connected to their current target as well.

"I am recalling the Naraka Path as I have an idea I want to try out. Go cover their area in the mean time" Nagato told Konan.

Nodding Konan left to where she knew that Path was at the moment leaving Nagato alone with just the two bodies before him. A smile forming on his face as this would be perfect if it worked out as he did not have time before to chose a proper body that fit the theme of his Six Paths of Pain.

The recalled Naraka Path arrived where Nagato then went about stripping the two bodies of their clothing tossing them aside as they were going to be needed at the moment. Having them both standing up straight holding each other. Their bodies were pierced by various black rods that came from the Naraka Path connecting the two of them together.

Having done that a giant head that seem to sprouting out purple flame appear, where two bodies were then thrown inside and Nagato then stood there waiting. The Naraka Path had the power to summon something known as the King of Hell. The two main usage Nagato had for this entity (he controlled just like the other Paths and even the summons the was capable of Animal Path) was to questioning and restoring.

However while it was possible to question more then one person at time the same could not be said for restoring them. That was something that was done one at time which what was going on now as he took direct control of the process. If this worked then it would be perfect but even if it did not that still be just fine. Nagato gets want he wants either way with this method.

Feeling that the process was complete for the both of them as he would see with King of Hell. A clear sign that his Animal Path was restored as all those that had his Rinnegan. He could see everything they could. So the mouth of the King of Hell opened and the first thing that was revealed or more like thrown out there was the Second Animal Path's body.

Fully healed however there was something very different about it though as it was seemingly restored back to before Nagato had converted it into one of his Pain. The next one to step out in live was known Sakura Haruno however that was not who was walking out the King of Hell.

They had chakra receivers above the nose, one on both side of the neck, a row of vertically down each cheek, one below each stud on the neck, two on each forearm as well on each knee. Her hair had been transformed from pink to orange yet was still the same short hairstyle she wore while alive. Mostly importantly the Rinnegan had replaced her normal green colored eyes.

The Third Animal Path had been completed as she smiled and began stretching a bit and even throwing a few punches and kicks

"Very interesting" she said noticing that she had retain Sakura's chakra enhanced strength something that was unexpected by a nice bonus none the less.

Nagato then went about continuing test out his Path after having Naraka Path go out to get Konan again. Its task here completed was now get her as the other four were already being made to come back to him.

Nagato who was also known as Pain was rather pleased with how things were turning out as had his new Animal Path get dressed. There was such a rush to get here that he did not even have time to pick a proper replacement last time. One thing about the original Six Path were they all had a connection to Jiraiya thus with converting Sakura's body like this. That was now restored since that connection being they had known or fought against the Frog Sanin.

Once everyone was back Nagato looked over them and then over his Third Animal Path once again fully integrated into the Six Path of Pain while then over to what was once the Second Animal Path. Which then gave him an interesting idea that might far more better then his original one. Which was actually rather reckless and had many flaws along with chances for failure both in the short and long term.


End file.
